STOCKBRIDGE — After two home games in the opening round of the district soccer playoffs, Hillsdale Academy varsity boys soccer was tasked with a rematch against Jackson Christian in the District 57 championship game.
Home-field advantage earlier in the postseason led to an 8-0 win over Will Carleton Academy and a 5-2 win over Jackson Lumen Christi. The Colts entered as the top seed and favorites to win the district, but with a target on their backs and a sixth straight title on the line, they faced a Royals team hungry for revenge.
The Royals are an equally talented squad that beat Jonesville 5-0 in the semifinals to reach the title game. They played the Academy earlier in the season — a 3-0 loss at home.
Despite the on-paper results, the Colts and Royals put on a show at Stockbridge High School in the championship game, where Hillsdale Academy held on for a 4-3 win.
“It’s not easy to win a district,” coach Neal Brady said. “You have to put three good games together, and I can appreciate our boys for hanging tough and staying in there when Jackson Christian seemed to be on the front foot.”
Surviving the comeback
The Colts held onto a 2-0 lead at the half thanks to a goal from senior Dawson Scharer, assisted by Justin Busby, and a Busby goal assisted by senior Grayson Young.
Things looked locked down heading into the first 20 minutes of the second half. Goals from Danny Alberto, assisted by senior Zane Socha, and Andrew Richards extended the Colts’ lead to 4-0.
But a few penalty cards and desperation-fueled play kept the Royals’ chances alive into the final seconds of the game.
The first comeback goal came with about 10 minutes left in the game, and it was followed with goals in succession all the way leading to the final couple of minutes to play.
The 4-0 lead had quickly vanished, and the Colts were holding on to a 4-3 advantage against a Royal team that didn’t want to go home. The Colts played on their heels the rest of the way, but they managed to outlast the Royals, sending another well-deserving team home after a gutsy performance.
“This game today was against a fine opponent,” Brady said. “Jackson Christian obviously never gave up. They controlled most of the game, frankly, and we were very blessed to come away with a victory.”
Celebration
That victory sealed the sixth straight championship for the Colts, a streak going back to 2020.
“We just won our sixth district (title),” senior Gabe McArthur said. “This is five for me — I’ve been on the team since eighth grade. Four of us (seniors) have really played our whole lives — me, Zane (Socha), Grayson (Young) and Dawson (Scharer). We really put in a lot of work.”
That group of Colts has been a part of five district title wins under coach Neal Brady’s run of six-straight championships. Many seniors have jumped on board at various points in their athletic careers at Hillsdale Academy, like goalkeeper Adam Alvarez.
“It’s been a lot of fun playing with them, even the new people who have come in,” McArthur said. “It’s a lot of fun to bring them in and teach them the way of Academy soccer.”
For a group of seniors used to the pressure and intensity of championship soccer, the Royal late-game comeback was still a nail-biting moment in their careers, something they will look to use to fuel their regional performance.
“We folded a little bit in the last second under a little bit of pressure,” Zane Socha said. “I know we can do better. I’m really looking forward to keeping it strong and just moving forward.”
Onto regionals
The Colts take their 13-6-2 record into another regional playoff berth.
“From here we go east to Ypsilanti, which is the regional site, and we’ll play the winner of Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett and Allen Park Inner City Baptist. Liggett is probably favored. We’ve played them once already — they beat us by four goals.”
Those words were spoken moments after the team’s trophy celebration, and coach Brady’s prediction came true about an hour later. University Liggett beat Allen Park in a 2-1 shootout.
Liggett beat Hope of Detroit 4-2 and Detroit Cristo Rey 3-0 to reach the title game. Like the Colts, University Liggett is a perennial regional contender with a history of making runs. Liggett made an appearance in the 2019 Division 4 state championship, and the Knights have previous playoff history with the Colts.
“We’ve lost to Liggett once, but we know how they play and we know we can score against them because we have the core,” McArthur said.
The Colts lost a regional semifinal game, 3-2, in a shootout with the Knights back in 2021. Many Colts faithful can remember that blistery October night years ago.
Since their regional final appearance in 2020, the Colts have come up short in the semifinals each of the last four seasons. In order to break that streak, the Colts will have to go through the No. 6 ranked Knights — a team that beat them 7-3 in August of this season.
“I think we’ve improved a lot since then, and it’s going to be a challenge, but we’ll be up for the challenge on Tuesday,” Brady said. “We’re going to come out stronger. We’re going to play well on Tuesday.”
“As long as we keep our intensity up and keep it strong, I think we can win,” Socha said about the matchup.
The regional semifinal matchup is scheduled for 7 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 21. Tickets can be purchased at GoFan. The game will be played at Ypsilanti Lincoln High School. The winner moves on to the Region 15 championship game at 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 23.
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This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Hillsdale Academy soccer survives Jackson Christian to win sixth straight district title
Reporting by Joseph Flaherty, Hillsdale Daily News / Hillsdale Daily News
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